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Sen. Schumer Hopes To Get Federal Funding For Long Beach Boardwalk

City Council President: 'The Boardwalk Is The Heart Of Our City'February 25, 2013 7:04 PM

Hundreds of residents of Long Beach attend a “goodbye” ceremony for the town’s historic wooden boardwalk, which was badly damaged in Hurricane Sandy, on January 5, 2013. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Superstorm Sandy

LONG BEACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — As Long Beach struggles to find millions of dollars to rebuild their infrastructure and get people back in their homes, Sen. Charles Schumer is hoping to get federal money to build a new boardwalk that would withstand future storms.

Most of the cost of the 2.2-mile boardwalk would be covered by “hazard mitigation” funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, if the structure is rebuilt with concrete or tropical wood, 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck reported Monday.

“The boardwalk is the heart of our city,” Long Beach City Council president Scott Mandel told WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs.

“We want to build it to be storm-resistant. We want to rebuild it so that it will be stronger and tougher than ever,” Schumer said. “It’s going to be a symbol of Long Island’s, New York’s and Long Beach’s revitalization when it gets built again.”

One longtime resident said that while the boardwalk is important, it shouldn’t be a priority.

“Let them come up with money for the hospital,” he said. “Priorities are priorities. Let one of the city’s official’s relatives need a hospital and it’s just a minute too far to go to Oceanside. We’ll see what happens then.”

However, others argue that without the boardwalk, Long Beach and nearby Island Park will never get back to normal.